Artemis II’s Breathtaking View of the Far Side of the Moon

NASA has finally released the first photos taken by the Artemis II astronauts, just after they completed 40 minutes of disconnection on the far side of the moon. Thanks to that moment, Earth has a new “selfie” taken from the far hemisphere of the satellite, an image reminiscent of the famous “Earthrise” photo captured by the crew of the Apollo 8 mission in December 1968.

The new photo of the far hemisphere of the moon, with Earth in the background.

Photograph: NASA

The Orion spacecraft circled the moon and passed between 6,000 and 7,000 kilometers from its surface. That distance was enough for the crew to document the lunar topography with professional cameras and telephoto lenses. Although other astronauts have crossed over to the dark side before, this is the first visit with contemporary technology capable of recording details with such sharpness.

Eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitken basin, where frozen water is probably present.

Photograph: NASA